Rapper and activist Killer Mike was arrested and handcuffed by Los Angeles police at the Crypto.com Arena after celebrating winning three Grammy Awards. Initial reports stated that the rapper’s arrest was due to an altercation at the venue, but now Mike has broken his silence about the incident and claimed that it was all a misunderstanding with an “overly zealous” security guard.
“I want to point out that last night my team and I received several calls from concerned fans and colleagues who wanted to know if I was okay. I greatly appreciate the concern and support, but I’m better than fine. As you can imagine, there was a lot going on and there was some confusion about which door my team and I should enter through. We found an overly zealous security guard,” the musician declared in a statement that was shared with the American press.
Mike ended his message by reiterating his confidence that he will be exonerated, in addition to inviting his fans to continue listening to Michael, the production that led him to win the Grammy for Best Rap Album.
“My team and I are fully confident that in the end I will be free of all blame. Until then, keep listening to Michael and keep chasing his dreams,” the 48-year-old rapper said.
Police reported that Mike was arrested after the incident and charged with a misdemeanor. However, he was released Sunday night on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in court on February 29 in Los Angeles.
Despite the incident, Mike did not stop thanking the Grammys for recognizing his work and also shared some personal news: he and his wife discovered on Monday that their son, who had been on the waiting list for a kidney transplant for years, finally found a compatible donor.
“First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude to my wife, Shay. You have sustained me through thick and thin, and I couldn’t be more proud to be your husband and share this award with you. We are incredibly proud and reveling in this moment. “I’m also grateful that one of my prayers was answered… the day after winning the Grammy.”
In addition to being recognized for his album, Killer Mike earned his first win of the night for his performance on the song Scientists & Engineers where he shares credits with Andre 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane. The acclaimed single also took home the award for best rap song.
His last Grammy, before this ceremony, dates back to 2003 when he triumphed with The Whole World in the category of best rap performance by a duo or group. Upon receiving his third award of the night, the Atlanta rapper exclaimed: “Sweeper! “Atlanta, it’s a sweeper!”
Beyond his musical career as a member of Run the Jewels with producer El-P, Killer Mike has stood out as a sociopolitical activist who has denounced racial inequality, relations between races and has fervently supported Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2016 in the United States. He was also the host of Trigger Warning with Killer Mike on Netflix, a 2019 documentary series examining issues affecting the African-American community. In addition, he made an emotional call to calm a protest against police brutality in Atlanta that ended in violence.